Hi. I am trying to help a relative of mine, who owns an Island Gypsy 39 she may be putting on the market. The boat is in exceptional condition except for one minor cosmetic issue. The interior of the door from the salon to the aft deck has a wooden (teak?) panel which has sustained water-related staining/discoloration. Only the door has this problem, which seems odd, since the door is more or less isolated from the rest of the house by being hung on hinges.

Does anyone know where that water might have come from? My only guess is that since the boat was at a dock, and therefore not always facing into the wind, that in heavy blowing rain from aft, water got to the door's window, which maybe was not sealed properly, and the water got in there. ??

Also: how would you repair this? Obviously, if my theory is correct, we would need to re-caulk the window. But as for the wood, I figure one would have to replace that whole teak panel; or (since sanding and use of teak-sealer would probably still show some water staining) paint that wooden panel to match the general color of the rest of the teak trim, or paint that panel the same color as the fiberglass gelcoat of the door and cabin. Any suggestions?

Has anyone else seen this type of leak in that location? Curiously, the water stains are in the bottom half of the panel (not the top, which is where I'd more expect to see something related to the door's window).